What makes Uganda a top birding destination?

By Solomon Oleny

If there's one pictureperfect birding destination in Africa, it is Uganda. In addition to friendly weather all year round, Uganda has over 1,060 recorded bird species, each with a fascinating plumage or character.

Uganda will host its first ever birding Expo from November 27 to 29. The event will attract celebrities, international travel writers and people who deal in birding gear and guide books. While it is easy to access a bird watching sanctuary, it's a totally different affair to view specific species, but Uganda offers that unique experience because most birding hubs across the country have infrastructure that facilitates fruitful encounters.

As Uganda is located on the East African plateau, it is a convergence of vegetation zones that attract different bird species, each which distinctive shades, behaviour or way of life. The north is semi-arid, the west Equatorial forest, mountainous terrains to the east and marshy swamps and lakes in the central and south.

Biodiversity

According to Achilles Byaruhanga, the Executive Director of Nature Uganda, each of the vegetation zones attracts different biodiversity inclusive of endemic birds. The biggest concentration of such is the Albertine rift valley, better known as the Western rift valley.

"Because of these different vegetation zones, the country receives over five million individual bird species yearly," Byaruhanga says. Most of these come in October and November when their European habitats are experiencing winter.

The biggest percentage comes from Russia and Eastern Europe. Some of these, especially gulls, can fly for five days non-stop and only rest upon reaching habitats of interest in the country. If you desire watching birds whose plumage changes as they adapt to new environments, you should watch out for migratory species.

Access

Parks with marshy floors like Semuliki and Kibale have wooden walk ways—in hard to reach areas endowed with the most sought after species. Parks that are divided by vast-water-bodies like Queen Elizabeth and Murchison are served with boats customized for bird watching. Even better, one does not have to pay through the nose to access such facilities.

For as little as sh30,000 one can be treated to a three-hour guided bird watching expedition, during which they are almost guaranteed to catch sight of at least 50 species. This is especially true if the tour is planned for early morning when the birds are very active.

Security

Many tourists pick Uganda over Central African Republic and Congo which have more bird varieties. On top of being protected by game rangers and UPDF soldiers, wildlife reserves throughout the country have police clusters specifically created to foresee the safety of the tourists. Known as the Tourism Police, these officials can be identified by their black uniforms and politeness with which they attend to visitors.

Professional guides

Agreeably, the bottom line of visiting an attraction is getting to know its rich history, something that Uganda tour guides don't take for granted. They have a reputation for going the extra mile to make adventures memorable. Typically, their work entails enriching visitors' experiences by sharing the A-Z of the respective species they encounter. However, their work is not exclusive to bird guiding. Under Uganda Safari Guides Association, they are constantly trained on how to spice up adventures.

CEDP promotes competitiveness in tourism

By Vision Reporter

Tourism is Uganda's fastest growing industry, with an average annual growth rate of 21%. As such, the Government recognises that in the short to medium term, the tourism sector will become the mainstay of the economy making the highest contribution to foreign exchange earnings, tax and non-tax revenue, employment and the Gross Domestic Product.

The sector has also been identified as the number one opportunity that will be harnessed for achieving faster socio-economic transformation. With funding from the World Bank, through the Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (CEDP). The Government has earmarked the tourism sector as one of the four components being funded under the CEDP project.

Tourism is one of Uganda's leading export earners bringing in about 26% of the GDP

Objective

Given the importance of tourism, the project is supporting initiatives geared towards creating and enhancing a competitive tourism sector which will unlock the potential to enable it grow, increase income and employment for Ugandans. The support will strengthen the public agencies, the private sector and their collaboration to develop a competitive offering.

The key activities

• Product development and planning, packaging and promotion including market representation as highlighted.
• Strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities and its related agencies: Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority and Hotel and Tourism Training Institute.
• Re-development of the Hotel and Tourism Training Institute. The project will revamp, equip and furnish HTTI in addition to curriculum overhaul to meet the world class standards required of a hospitality industry. This will enable the provision of a quality labour force for the tourism sector.

Key results expected

• Increased international tourist arrivals
• Increased tourism sector employment
• Trained key personnel in the sector
• New MSMEs registered in the tourism sector
• HTTI accredited by atleast three external industry and educational bodies

The Government has earmarked tourism as one of the components to be funded

 

About the CEDP

Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (CEDP) is a five-year government/ World Bank funded project geared towards enhancing the competitiveness of Uganda through supporting business environment reforms in Land Administration and Management; Business Registration and Licensing; Tourism Competitiveness Development and enterprise support through the Matching Grant Facility.

The Government represented by the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development, delegated the overall coordination of the project to the Private Sector Foundation Uganda through a project Tourism is one of Uganda's leading export earners bringing in about 26% of the GDP co-ordination unit.

For more information, one can either visit the website www.cedp. go.ug or the offices at the Private Sector Foundation Uganda, Plot 43, Nakasero Road in Kampala.